A cyst of the jawbone

Odontogenic cysts are considered a complication of the main inflammatory process in the jaw bone tissue. A jaw bone cyst looks like a cavity with epithelial tissue inside and a fibrous wall. The cyst usually contains exudate - thick, not purulent. Purulent contents of the cyst are typical for the last stage of cyst formation, which debuts 3-6 months after the onset of the process.

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Causes of jaw cyst

A jaw bone cyst is localized in the area of the tooth root or in the crown area; periodontitis can be a provoking factor for the formation of a cystic cavity. As the cyst develops and increases, the jaw wall gradually collapses, the bone undergoes resorption, which manifests itself in the form of a characteristic crunch when pressing on the teeth and jaw.

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Symptoms of a jaw cyst

A large cyst can disrupt the facial contour by protruding from the side of its location. Cysts of the upper jaw are especially dangerous, as they grow towards the maxillary sinus without showing any external signs. Cyst growth is always slow, the initial stage is latently without clinical signs. A cystic formation can be an accidental finding during a routine visit to the dentist, but in 85-90% of cases, a cyst is detected during an exacerbation, when it manifests itself as suppuration and severely deforms the jaw. Dentists consider pathological fractures of the jaw caused by thinning of bone tissue to be the most difficult cases. Another serious complication is the growth of a large cyst into the nasal cavity and even into the eye socket area.

A jaw cyst can be of two types: odontogenic or non-odontogenic.

An odontogenic cyst is a direct consequence of a chronic, advanced inflammatory process in periodontal tissues. An odontogenic cyst can cause symptoms of general intoxication, since over a long period of time the neoplasm releases decay products of pathogenic microorganisms into the body. Intoxication is manifested by an elevated body temperature, transient dull headaches. Suppuration of the cyst is expressed in severe swelling of the jaw tissues, pulsating pain, and an asymmetrically swollen face. Odontogenic cysts are divided into the following types:

• Keratocyst.
• Follicular cyst.
• Radicular cyst.
• Root cyst.

Among all types, only radicular and root cysts can be considered purely bone cysts.

1. A radicular cyst is diagnosed most often; according to statistics, this type of cyst is detected in 55-60% of patients with characteristic clinical signs of benign tumors of the jaw bone system. The cyst develops in the center of chronic inflammation - periodontitis, often its beginning is a granuloma. The favorite localization of a radicular cyst is the bone of the upper jaw. Cysts in this area can reach 3-4 centimeters, they tend to hyperplasia in the form of processes towards the wall of the cavity, also radical cysts often become purulent, while the inflammatory process captures the maxillary sinus, provoking odontogenic sinusitis. A large cyst grows slowly, chronically destroying the jaw bone and thinning its cortical layer. In 3-5%, radical odontogenic cysts of the jaw are capable of malignancy.
2. A root odontogenic cyst also forms as a consequence of a chronic inflammatory process. It grows very slowly, presses on the jaw bone tissue, which shifts compensatorily, thereby disrupting the normal functions of the dental apparatus. A root cyst is characterized by spontaneous pathological fractures of the jaw, a severe complication of cyst development can be osteomyelitis or a malignant tumor of the jaw.

Diagnosis of jaw cyst

Jaw bone cysts are diagnosed using panoramic X-rays, ultrasound examination and puncture.

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Treatment of jaw bone cyst

Treatment of jaw cysts is almost always surgical, which involves partial or complete resection of damaged bone tissue, and possible extraction of the damaged tooth.